Henry Stonebrooke
Arl Henry Stonebrooke was a major lord from Avalot who made his home in the northern area of the nation, right on the border of Highrise. He was a major voice in the Court of Nobles, serving as the active secretary and the voice for the northern territory of the country. Background Born in 613 AU, Henry Stonebrooke was the eldest of four brothers and was destined to lead the Stonebrooke family from birth. He was trained to be an ambassador for the north and excelled at politics from a very early age. Following the Berman War, he joined the Court of Nobles and quickly found a place in the council as an excellent negotiator due to his carefree attitude. Because of his disassociation with lower Avalot, Stonebrooke was ideal in brokering the peace between Avalot and Berma. Eventually, it was decided that he would be the best choice as secretary to the Court in 640 AU, a position he maintained into the modern day. In 655 AU, during the assassination of Alric Dacre, Stonebrooke was one of the supporters of the Emperor of Berma, Juilus Narvineous, believing him to be the best choice to rule Avalot. He, like many of the other nobles, regretted his decision as things in Avo got progressively worse during the Masquerade fiasco. He approached the Emperor on several occasions about his policies but was too late to do anything when the Emperor set fire to the Pit. He was also in attendance during the final masquerade party which erupted into an assassination attempt on the Emperor. It was Stonebrooke who helped reorganize the Court of Nobles and he was the last member to vote in the decision to accept Mary the Mute into the organization. Stonebrooke was one of the nobles who voted for Kenneth Deshotel as the first Prime Minister in the Court of Nobles. He also openly supported Deshotel with the rest of the Court during the second election, where he continued his duty as secretary of the Court. When the Pinelands and the Sea of Sands declared war on each other, Stonebrooke attempted to ease the tension but failed. He was one of the last remaining members of the Court as the Midnight Hands broke them up, and he slowly came into supporting the commoners in their rise to a place on the council. As per Deshotel's request to the Court, he later aided Mary in her teachings to be a proper noble woman. By the start of 659 AU, Stonebrooke was a part of the Court of Nobles when they stayed behind to oversee the siege of Avo during the Ninth Barbarian Invasion. He saw the assassination of Kenneth Deshotel and helped Argus Verze manage the Court during the Midnight Hand's occupation of Avo. In the end, Stonebrooke survived the occupation and the Invasion to see Verze take control of the Court. In the modern day, Stonebrooke is one of the oldest members of the Court and has taken a lesser role in his old age. He is one of the primary ambassador to the Pinelands and dealing with their aggression. Personality Henry Stonebrooke is a man who generally is serious until it is time to party. He can be loud, but also knows when to be quiet and listen, which makes him excellent as the Court secretary. He can record notes very quickly and without even looking at what he is writing. It is also well known that he is a horrible dancer and one should avoid him at all costs. Because of his family's old ties to the nation, he likes to do what is best to preserve the country, even if his peers all disagree with him.